Finding a good
restaurant in Venice isn't always easy, especially in the heavily touristed
areas near the Piazza San Marco. The authors of Chow! Venice have made it
their mission to help you avoid "bad restaurants with high prices, unscrupulous
waiters, and tasteless food."

Whether you're looking for a simple pizza
Margherita or a full-scale meal--or even a supermarket where, like us, you
can buy shrink-wrapped Parmegiano Reggiano to take home--Shannon Essa and Ruth
Edenbaum will point you in the right direction with the expanded and updated
second edition of Venice's premier English-language restaurant guide.

Chow! Venice is divided
into six major sections:

How, When, and Where to Eat in Venice

This is a basic introduction to Italian meals and menus, with tips on what to
order--and in what order. (Sample: "Salads are normally served after your
secondo
to clease the palate for the dolce, but you may order a salad as an
antipasto if you desire.")

The Restaurants of Venice

The nearly 90 pages of restaurant reviews are organized by neighborhood, making
it easy to find suitable places to eat near your hotel or wherever you've been
sightseeing. Detailed reviews indicate price ranges (keyed to a legend in the
front of the book), whether credit cards are accepted, the nearest vaporetto
stop, opening days and hours, and whether reservations are accepted or advised.

A Guide to Venetian Bars

The authors
describe scores of places where you can get a drink or coffee, fill up on
tramezzini, panini, or other food, and rub elbows with the locals or
fellow tourists.

Gelaterie, Pasticcerie and Other Food Shops
for the Traveler

Hungry for a cone? Looking for a bakery, a
wine merchant, or a supermarket where you can load up on staples for your
holiday apartment? Ten pages of listings (again, by neighborhood) will save
aimless wandering.

Our Favorite Non-Food Shops and Resources
for the Traveler

This six-page section lists a handful of
shops that sell hardware and quality souvenirs.

Glossary

In addition to the Italian food and wine terms that may be in your phrasebook,
this chapter includes many Venetian terms such as ombra (a small glass of
wine served in a bar) and zabaio (zabaglione).

Following the glossary are an index and a series of neighborhood maps with
markings for the locations of restaurants and bars featured in the book.

If reviews and food advice aren't enough to please you, not to worry: Chow
Venice! is also a great read. It's seasoned with personal anecdotes,
including a great story about good karma (and its rewards) in Harry's Bar.

Verdict:Chow Venice! is well worth buying if you're spending a few days or a week in
Venice and have more than a passing interest in food and drink. For more
information, visit
www.wineappreciation.com and read the excerpt on page 2 of this article.